Network access using network identification

• US 7,548,978 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Bryan L., Leuca, Ileana A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): AILES, BENJAMIN A
• Application Number:
  US09/968,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20020040390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,814 Days
• Field of Search: 709/207, 709/219, 709/220, 709/223, 709/227, 713/155, 713/55, 455/432.1, 455/405, 455/406, 726/4
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A network system that identifies a home network of a user by a network identification in an access request. When the access request is received in a network, the accessed network extracts a network identification from the access request and determines whether the access request is received from a subscriber or non-subscriber. If a non-subscriber, then a foreign network is identified and a network identification database is consulted to retrieve contact information for the foreign network. If the contact information is successfully retrieved, then the user may be routed to the foreign network (home network of the user). Otherwise (if the contact information is not in the network identification database), the user may be denied any access, and a purchase agreement for connect services may be offered.

Claims

1. A method for responding to an access request from a device, comprising:

at a foreign network, receiving the access request from the device;

extracting a network identification from the access request;

attempting to identify a home network based on the network identification;

if a home network is identified;

obtaining home network information relating to the home network from a domain name database in the foreign network,

obtaining a profile from the home network information,

obtaining from the profile whether an agreement exists that comprises an agreement between the foreign network and the home network to connect each other'"'"'s subscribers,

if the agreement exists, connecting the device to the home network, and

displaying a screen on the device as specified by the profile; and

if a home network is not identified;

offering to subscribe the device to a service offered by the foreign network,

receiving from the device an indication of acceptance of the offer to subscribe the device to the service offered by the foreign network, and

at the foreign network, providing the service offered by the foreign network to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a home network is identified:

obtaining routing information if the home network information indicates that an agreement is established with the home network; and

routing the device to the home network based on the routing information to connect the device to the home network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising if a home network is identified:

obtaining from the profile whether to negotiate with the home network for connecting the device to the home network; and

connecting the device to the home network if a successful negotiation is achieved.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the home network information is obtained by retrieving the home network information from a network identification resolution database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identification include a domain name of a home network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein if a home network is identified, the profile is obtained from the home network information if the home network information indicates that an agreement is not established with the home network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the screen is a standard initial screen that includes at least one feature provided by the home network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access request comprises a destination network and the method further comprises:

if a home network is identified and the agreement does not exist, offering to connect the device to one of the foreign network and the destination network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the agreement specifies a fee for connecting the device to the home network, and the method further comprises:

before connecting the device to the home network, providing a message to the device asking whether its user agrees to pay the fee; and

after receiving an indication that the user agrees to pay the fee, connecting the device to the home network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the home network comprises a home network subscriber interface having a standard initial screen;

and

the screen displayed on the device specified by the profile comprises a standard initial screen mimicking the standard initial screen of the home network subscriber interface of the home network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the foreign network comprises a network subscriber interface having a standard initial screen, the screen displayed on the device specified by the profile comprises the standard initial screen, and the method further comprises:

at the foreign network, storing a profile for the device; and

allowing the device to tailor the standard initial screen.

12. A method for connecting a device to a home network, comprising:

receiving, at a foreign network, an access request from the device;

extracting a domain name from the access request;

attempting to identify a home network based on the domain name;

if a home network is identified;

obtaining a profile from a domain name database in the home network,

obtaining from the profile whether an agreement exists that comprises an agreement between the foreign network and the home network to connect each other'"'"'s subscribers,

if the agreement exists, connecting the device to the home network,

if the agreement does not exist, obtaining from the profile whether to negotiate immediately with the home network for connecting the device to the home network in response to the access request, and connecting the device to the home network if a successful negotiation is achieved, and

if the device is connected to the home network, displaying a screen on the device as specified by the profile; and

if a home network is not identified;

offering to subscribe the device to the foreign network,

receiving from the device an indication of acceptance of the offer to subscribe the device to the foreign network, and

after receiving the indication of acceptance, providing network access to the device at the foreign network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the screen is a standard initial screen that includes at least one feature provided by the home network.

14. A network identification resolution communication system, comprising:

at least one network;

a network identification resolution device coupled to the at least one network, the at least one network receiving an access request from a communication device, extracting a network identification from the access request, and responding to the access request based on the network identification; and

a network identification resolution database,

the at least one network being configured to attempt to identify a home network based on the network identification,

if a home network is not identified, the at least one network is configured to offer to subscribe the device to the at least one network, receive from the device an indication of acceptance of the offer, and after receiving the indication of acceptance of the offer, subscribe the device to the at least one network,

if a home network is identified, the at least one network is configured to;

obtain home network information relating to the home network from the network identification resolution database,

obtain a profile from the home network information,

obtain from the profile whether an agreement exists that comprises an agreement between the at least one network and the home network to connect each other'"'"'s subscribers,

connect the device to the home network if the agreement exists, and

display a screen on the device as specified by the profile.

15. The system of claim 14, the at least one network is configured to obtain routing information if the home network information indicates that an agreement is established with the home network, and to route the device to the home network based on the routing information thereby connecting the device to the home network.

16. The system of claim 14, the at least one network is configured to obtain from the profile whether to negotiate with the home network for connecting the device to the home network and to connect the device to the home network if a successful negotiation is achieved.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the network identification includes a domain name of a home network.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one network obtains a profile from the home network information if the home network information indicates that an agreement is not established with the home network.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the screen is a standard initial screen that includes at least one feature provided by the home network, and wherein the network displays the screen on the device according to a feature of the home network.

20. A method of responding to an access request transmitted by a device, the access request comprising a domain name, the method comprising:

at an accessed network, receiving the access request transmitted by the device;

extracting the domain name from the access request;

attempting to identify a home network based on the domain name;

if a home network is identified and the home network is other than the accessed network;

determining whether an agreement exists between the accessed network and the home network to connect each other'"'"'s subscribers, and

if the agreement exists, connecting the device to the home network; and

if a home network is not identified;

offering to subscribe the device to the accessed network,

receiving from the device an indication of acceptance of the offer to subscribe the device to the accessed network, and

after receiving the indication of acceptance of the offer to subscribe the device to the accessed network, subscribing the device to the accessed network.